DO PALM TREE TRUNKS GROW BACK IF YOU CUT THEIR TRUNKS?

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Palm trees do not require a lot of maintenance throughout a lifespan. However, skinning the trees just once per year is crucial to the overall health of the plant. Read on to learn why you should skin your palm tree.

SINGLE-TRUNK PALMS

When it comes to severing off the growing tip or better know as the ‘crownshaft’ of any single-trunk palm species, this will effectively terminate the tree altogether. The trunk will not be able to sprout a new growing tip in place of the old missing crownshaft. And without the extra foliage to synthesize the incoming light, the palm soon grows weak and starts to rot. If you do end up having to cut off the top of any single-trunk palms, the next move would be to simply plant a new tree.

Some examples of single-trunk palms include the Mexican fan Palm, Royal palm, Christmas palm, and the Cabbage palm. These are all great options to choose from when deciding which single-trunk palm to grow.

CLUSTERING PALMS

Clustering palms are incredibly unique and grow multiple trunk stems, which means you can shave away some trunks without ending the plants’ life. If the individual palm trunk is removed solely, it will not be able to heal itself. Even if you cut off the trunks near the root level, suckering explodes from this level and will eventually sprout and develop into new healthy palm tree trunks. The suckering process and rejuvenation will only happen in the case of a healthy clustering palm. On the other hand, diseased or distressed palms may not create new suckers and may eventually end up dying.

PALM TREE TRUNK WOUNDS

Naturally, Palm trees lack cambium – which is a layer of tissue behind the tree bark that creates the growth rings in the tree. Any wound inflicted to the trunk of a palm tree cannot repair itself, meaning these wounds will remain with the palm for the rest of its life. The wounds can and most likely will become dry and brittle unless weather conditions are full of rain or high humidity. Insects and fungal infections can penetrate the palm and cause massive damage to the plant’s articular system, as well.

PRUNING

When it comes to the pruning aspect of the palm tree, there are crucial factors that come into play during this process. First, it is important to never sever the downshaft on a palm. Another tip is to remove just the right amount of fronds. Also, never introduce any sort of diseases to the plants. Palm pruning can certainly be hard to manage and is better left to the professionals. If you do decide to proceed with pruning the palm yourself, go ahead and remove only the broken fronds that are entirely dead with no color left to them.

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WHY SHOULD YOU SKIN YOUR PALM TREES

The main reason homeowners skin their palm trees is simply the aesthetic of their home, paired with all the wonderful health benefits for the palm tree. Another major reason this is done is because rodents and all species of bugs use the palm’s dead fronds as a place of rest. Consider skinning your palm trees for this reason, as it will cut down on amounts of pests in your yard. The dead fronds still on the tree actually take up the nutrients that would’ve otherwise gone into the healthy fronds, making this process necessary. Palm fronds are sometimes a headache to deal with, since they will more than likely fall from the tree, eventually. Even if you just enjoy the way a skinned palm tree looks, getting this work done serves many purposes.

DANGERS TO SKINNING YOUR PALM TREE

When skinning a palm tree, of course, it does come with risk to the tree and tree trimmer involved in the job. The risk is just another reason why hiring a professional tree trimmer is the best possible way to approach this task. For the trimmers themselves, they face all sorts of risks, as any tree trimming service would. You’re in need of a ladder or bucket trucks in order to reach the highest part of the palm tree where the fronds hide. Falling from these heights is the biggest risk of the job, which is the main reason why people hire professionals to complete the task at hand. Professional trimmers sometimes even tend to just climb the tree itself.

As mentioned previously, trimming jobs pose countless risks for the trimmer and the tree itself. When the palm tree is hurt or cut, the dead fronds act as an open wound on the tree. Just like any other organism, open wounds become infected. The reason for this could be due to unsanitary trimming equipment being used. It is important to sanitize your trimming equipment before the skinning process starts. Also, be very wary that cutting too deep into the tree trunk can and will leave scars to the palm tree, which will hurt the tree when it comes to the transfer of nutrients.

Skinning a palm tree should be limited to only once a year.